Converting Documents Using a Global Property Indicating Whether Event Logging Is Performed on Conversion Filters.

1. A apparatus for providing document conversion, comprising: a document type definition stored on a computer readable medium, said document type definition defining a document conversion element containing a convertor element for specifying a plurality of document conversion filters, said document conversion element further containing a global element for specifying at least one global property applicable to each of said plurality of document conversion filters, wherein said convertor element defines at least one input tag for specifying at least one corresponding input document type, at least one output tag for specifying at least one corresponding output document type, at least one filter tag for specifying at least one corresponding software object to be used for converting documents from said at least one input document type to said at least one output document type; and further comprising a global property generated based on said document type definition, said global property comprising an indication of whether event logging is to be performed across a plurality of document conversion filters generated based on said document type definition.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said convertor element further defines a remote tag for specifying an identity of a remote computer system on which said software object to be used for converting documents from said at least one input document type to said at least one output document type is located.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising program code stored on said computer readable medium and operable to process a plurality of document conversion related service requests, wherein said plurality of document conversion related service requests includes a request for a list of all document types that a document of a given document type can be converted to.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising program code stored on said computer readable medium and operable to process a plurality of document conversion related service requests, wherein said plurality of document conversion related service requests includes a request for a list of all document types that can be converted to a given document type.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising program code stored on said computer readable medium and operable to process a plurality of document conversion related service requests, wherein said plurality of document conversion related service requests includes a request for indication of a preferred document conversion filter for converting a document of a first document type to a document of a second document type.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising program code stored on said computer readable medium and operable to process a plurality of document conversion related service requests, wherein said plurality of document conversion related service requests includes a request for a list of all nodes in a computer network that are operable to convert a first document type to a second document type.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising program code stored on said computer readable medium operable to chain a first and a second of said plurality of said document conversion filters together in the case where an output document type of said first one of said plurality of document conversion filters matches an input document type of said second one of said plurality of document conversion filters, and to convert a document of an input document type of the first document conversion filter to an output document type of the second document conversion filter.

8. A method for providing document conversion, comprising: forming a plurality of document conversion filters and at least one global property responsive to a document type definition stored on a computer readable medium, said document type definition defining a document conversion element containing a convertor element specifying said plurality of document conversion filters, said document conversion element further containing a global element specifying at least one global property applicable to each of said plurality of document conversion filters, wherein said convertor element defines at least one input tag for specifying at least one corresponding input document type, at least one output tag for specifying at least one output document type, and at least one filter tag for specifying at least one corresponding software object to be used for converting documents from said at least one input document type to said at least one output document type; and further comprising generating a global property based on said document type definition, said global property comprising an indication of whether event logging is to be performed across a plurality of document conversion filters generated based on said document type definition.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said convertor element further defines a remote tag for specifying an identity of a remote computer system on which said software object to be used for converting documents from said at least one input document type to said at least one output document type is located.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising processing a plurality of document conversion related service requests, wherein said plurality of document conversion related service requests includes a request for a list of all document types that a document of a given document type can be converted to.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising processing a plurality of document conversion related service requests, wherein said plurality of document conversion related service requests includes a request for a list of all document types that can be converted to a given document type.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising processing a plurality of document conversion related service requests, wherein said plurality of document conversion related service requests includes a request for indication of a preferred document conversion filter for converting a document of a first document type to a document of a second document type.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising processing a plurality of document conversion related service requests, wherein said plurality of document conversion related service requests includes a request for a list of all nodes in a computer network that are operable to convert a first document type to a second document type.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: chaining a first and a second of said plurality of said document conversion filters together in the case where an output document type of said first one of said plurality of document conversion filters matches an input document type of said second one of said plurality of document conversion filters; and converting a document of an input document type of the first document conversion filter to an output document type of the second document conversion filter.

15. A system for providing document conversion, comprising: means for forming a plurality of document conversion filters and at least one global property responsive to a document type definition stored on a computer readable medium, said document type definition defining a document conversion element containing a convertor element specifying said plurality of document conversion filters, said document conversion element further containing a global element specifying at least one global property applicable to each of said plurality of document conversion filters, wherein said convertor element defines at least one input tag for specifying at least one corresponding input document type, at least one output tag for specifying at least one corresponding output document type, and at least one filter tag for specifying at least one corresponding software object to be used for converting documents from said at least one input document type to said at least one output document type; and means for generating a global property based on said document type definition, said global property comprising an indication of whether event logging is to be performed across a plurality of document conversion filters generated based on said document type definition.

16. A computer program product including a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having a computer program for providing document conversion stored thereon, said computer program comprising: program code for forming a plurality of document conversion filters and at least one global property responsive to a document type definition stored on said computer readable medium, said document type definition defining a document conversion element containing a convertor element specifying said plurality of document conversion filters, said document conversion element further containing a global element specifying at least one global property applicable to each of said plurality of document conversion filters, wherein said convertor element defines at least one input tag for specifying at least one corresponding input document type, at least one output tag for specifying at least one corresponding output document type, and at least one filter tag for specifying at least one corresponding software object to be used for converting documents from said at least one input document type to said at least one output document type; and program code for generating a global property based on said document type definition, said global property comprising an indication of whether event logging is to be performed across a plurality of document conversion filters generated based on said document type definition.